HIGHLIGHTING agrifood postharvest innovations, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted its Special Graduate Seminar on Postharvest Management for a Sustainable Agrifood Supply Chain at the Drilon Hall and online via the SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagements or Solve Platform on Feb. 20, 2025.
SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the center continues to provide a platform for scholars to present their research through a special graduate seminar, reinforcing its commitment to advancing impactful research and advancing agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia.
He said the event was organized in partnership with the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics-College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños (DAAE-CEM UPLB) to present the highlights of the research publications of two SEARCA alumni.
They were Reymond Denver Buenaseda and Arjay Gerance, both 2024 graduates and recipients of the DAAD-SEARCA Scholarship for Master of Science in Applied Economics for Agriculture and Environment Program at Kasetsart University, Thailand. DAAD is the German Academic Exchange Service.
They discussed their research published in the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences Journal and SEARCA's Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, respectively, exploring innovative postharvest management strategies for onion and pineapple production.
Highlighting the important role of cold storage in reducing postharvest losses and increasing farmers' profits, Buenaseda, an assistant professor at DAAE-CEM, UPLB, presented his research on cold storage adoption among onion farmers in Nueva Ecija.
Buenaseda said cooperative membership and participation in trading enhance farmers' ability to store their harvests, while policy initiatives supporting farmer-operated cold storage facilities offer additional opportunities for smallholders.
To further promote storage adoption, Buenaseda recommended exploring a one-time subsidy for cold storage fees to encourage long-term participation.
A senior economic development specialist at the National Economic and Development Authority in MIMAROPA, Gerance focused on postharvest management and losses in the Queen pineapple value chain.
MIMAROPA comprises the provinces of Mindoro (divided into Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro), Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.
Gerance emphasized that the challenges faced by small-scale farmers, particularly limited access to resources and inefficient handling practices, contributed to higher losses.
His research highlighted clustering programs, improved harvesting techniques and optimized transport conditions as key interventions to minimize losses.
Gerance also recommended government-led initiatives to standardize handling practices, enforce quality standards, and invest in low-cost cold storage and packinghouses to strengthen the supply chain.